Our team

Meet the team behind the MOTS mission…

Kieran Goodwin
Director of Charity
& Co-Founder

  • Kieran Goodwin is the Charity Director and Co-Founder of Mind of the Student. At the age of 17, he founded the World Youth Organization (WYO), a youth led charity created to give young people a stronger voice in social change and provide opportunities for them to grow, develop and lead within their communities. As the organisation evolved, its work increasingly focused on youth mental health, leading to the development of Mind of the Student to provide a more targeted approach to supporting young people in schools and local communities.

    Alongside his work in the charity sector, Kieran has a professional background in nursing, giving him valuable clinical insight into mental health and wellbeing. As Charity Director, he leads the organisation’s strategy, partnerships and programme development, working closely with schools, local communities, and professionals to ensure young people have access to the knowledge, confidence and support needed to understand and manage their mental health.

Jaylan Sesli
Director of Programmes
& Co-Founder

  • Jaylan Sesli is the Head of Programmes and Co-Founder at Mind of the Student, where she leads the development and delivery of the charity’s mental health programmes for young people, parents and teachers. With a background in psychology and healthcare, she plays a key role in designing evidence informed workshops and resources that help students better understand their mental health and build practical coping skills.

    As Head of Programmes, Jaylan oversees the design, delivery and evaluation of the organisation’s work in schools and local communities, ensuring that sessions are engaging, relevant and impactful for young people. She is passionate about creating safe spaces for students to talk openly about their mental health and equipping them with the knowledge and confidence to seek support when they need it.

Emily Light
Project Lead

  • Emily Light is the Project Lead at Mind of the Student, where she leads the development and delivery of the charity’s community based programmes while also supporting workshop delivery in schools. She works closely with young people, families and partner organisations to design and facilitate impactful sessions that promote emotional wellbeing, confidence and resilience.

    Through her role, Emily brings a strong background in psychology and trauma informed practice, alongside experience in group facilitation and one to one support. She is passionate about creating safe, inclusive spaces where young people feel heard and empowered, and plays a key role in ensuring Mind of the Student’s work reaches communities in a meaningful and supportive way.

MOTS supports young people wherever life happens – in school, at home, and out in the community.

Our volunteers play a vital role in helping young people feel supported, confident, and inspired. If you’re interested in getting involved, find out more about volunteering below.

Volunteer >

Gabriela Tanaka
Project Coordinator

  • Gabriela Tanaka (Gabi) is the Project Coordinator at Mind of the Student, where she supports the planning and delivery of the charity’s mental health programmes and services. She works closely with schools, facilitators and partners to coordinate projects, manage logistics and help ensure the organisation’s work runs smoothly and effectively.

    Through her role, Gabi plays an important part in supporting the charity’s mission to improve mental health awareness and resilience among young people. Her organisational skills and commitment to youth wellbeing help ensure programmes reach schools and students in a meaningful and impactful way.

Programmes Team

  • Natalie Kashirsky

    Senior Programmes Facilitator and Assistant Practitioner

  • Nathan Swartz

    Senior Programmes Facilitator

  • Amelia Poamz

  • Claira Hermet

  • Emily Light

    Senior Programmes Facilitator

  • Jared Garfield

  • Katie Paul

  • Blaize Alexis-Anglin

  • Alexander Wilson-Goldsmith

  • Annette O'Connor

    Clinical Lead and Mental Health Nurse

Board of Trustees

Eddie Aylett
Chair of the Board of Trustees

 

  • Eddie Aylett is an experienced school leader and Principal of Bower Park Academy in London, where he has spent many years leading school improvement and championing high standards in education. A Fellow of the Chartered College of Teaching and holder of the National Professional Qualification for Headship, Eddie has built a reputation for values driven leadership and a strong commitment to helping young people thrive both academically and personally.

    As Chair of the Board of Trustees at Mind of the Student, Eddie brings extensive expertise in education, leadership and student wellbeing. His experience working closely with school communities enables him to provide strategic guidance that supports the charity’s mission to improve mental health awareness, support and resilience among young people.

Richard Wing
Treasurer and Trustee

  • Richard Wing is a finance professional with extensive experience in financial planning, analysis, and business operations. With a strong background in accounting and financial management, he brings valuable expertise in supporting organisations with effective financial oversight and strategic decision making.

    As Treasurer and a Trustee of Mind of the Student, Richard is responsible for overseeing the charity’s financial governance and supporting its long term sustainability. His expertise helps ensure the organisation manages its resources responsibly while continuing to deliver impactful mental health support for young people.

Matthew Frenchman
Trustee

  • Matthew Frenchman is a finance and technology leader with extensive experience across investment banking, fintech, and high growth startups. After 17 years in investment banking at JPMorgan and Credit Suisse, he moved into the startup and investment space, holding senior roles including CFO at Tiney and working with venture capital firm 13books Capital to support emerging companies.

    As a Trustee of Mind of the Student, Matthew brings strong commercial and strategic expertise to support the charity’s growth and long term impact. His experience across finance and innovation helps guide the organisation as it works to expand mental health support for young people.

Nora Strasser-Burke
Trustee

  • Nora Strasser-Burke is an experienced human resources and organisational development professional with a background across education, training and youth focused programmes. She has held roles in learning and development, programme management and HR, supporting organisations to strengthen engagement, communication and professional development.

    As a Trustee of Mind of the Student, Nora brings valuable expertise in people development and organisational culture. Her experience working closely with education and training programmes helps support the charity’s mission to improve mental health awareness and support for young people.

Aoife Healy
Trustee

  • Aoife Healy is an experienced executive assistant who supports senior leadership teams within high growth technology companies. Her role involves coordinating complex operations at C suite level, managing strategic priorities and enabling leaders to operate effectively in fast paced environments.

    As a Trustee of Mind of the Student, Aoife brings strong organisational insight and a passion for supporting people and purpose driven work. Her experience working closely with senior leaders helps support the charity’s governance and mission to improve mental health awareness and support for young people.

Tola Johnson
Trustee

  •  Tola Johnson is an experienced financial crime and investigations specialist with more than two decades of experience across compliance and corporate investigations. His career has focused on tackling fraud, financial misconduct and regulatory risk, supporting organisations to strengthen investigative processes and maintain strong compliance practices.

    As a Trustee of Mind of the Student, Tola brings valuable expertise in governance, risk awareness and ethical oversight. His professional background supports the charity in maintaining strong accountability and responsible leadership as it works to improve mental health awareness and support for young people.

Things to help

From figuring out your feelings to finding practical ways to handle stress or support someone close to you, we are here to give you the tools, guidance and support you need.

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Volunteering

Volunteering with us is a chance to make a real difference for young people, and to support the students, teachers and families who stand alongside them.

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